Generally, an optical module has a structure described as follows. Members such as (i) a light-emitting device such as an LD, an LED or the like, (ii) a light receiving device such as a photodiode or the like, and the like are housed in a housing. An optical fiber optically coupled to the light-emitting device and/or the light receiving device extends to the outside of the housing via an optical fiber insertion pipe.
Regarding such an optical module, Patent Literature 1 discloses a method for fixing an optical fiber extending to the outside of the optical module. In the method of Patent Literature 1, an optical fiber insertion pipe is prepared. A side surface of the optical fiber insertion pipe has a hole. Then, an end of the optical fiber is inserted into an opening of an end of the optical fiber insertion pipe. After this, the hole is soldered by heating a solder chip by using laser welding or high frequency induction heating. This fixes the optical fiber inside the optical fiber insertion pipe 2. The method of Patent Literature 1 is more advantageous from a conventional adhesive fixing in terms that an effect of the fixing lasts over years and the fixing can be finished within a short time. As such the method is suitable for mass production of the optical module.
Light-emitting devices and light receiving devices are so vulnerable to moisture, a dust, and the like that enters from outside. When contaminated with the moisture, dust, or the like, they may suffer malfunctioning or serious deterioration in reliability. Therefore, in manufacturing of optical module, it is necessary to hermetically sealing the optical modules so as to completely prevent the light-emitting devices from being exposed to the outside.